Canon, it’s been observed, is what people argue is true about stories that aren’t. Continuity, similarly, is what’s supposedly consistent in worlds that aren’t. Metaplot is what you call either one when you want to start a fight. I’m faintly offended by the idea of canon in roleplaying games. RPGs are by their nature varying Read More …

Good morning, MMO designers. Nice day, isn’t it? Well, I hope it is where you are. I’m in Atlanta, where we have “southern charm,” a concept best summed up as “the curse the swamp-witch put on us for choosing to build here.” Or, perhaps, these summers are the ghosts of Sherman’s fires. Anyhow, it’s great Read More …

SFX has Terry Pratchett commenting on Doctor Who. Pratchett says he wishes he could hate the show, because it’s not science fiction and it discards Chekhov’s rifle. Unsurprising, really: the Doctor doesn’t much like guns. Pratchett elevates said rifle to a Law of Narrative, which I’m not sure it really is. For all his objection Read More …